Juice concentrates show anti-inflammatory potential

Concentrates of fruit and vegetables taken as capsules may reduce levels of markers of inflammation, and potentially reduce the risk of chronic disease, suggests a new study.

A micronutrient-dense concentrate of a range of fruit and vegetables including cherry, apple, broccoli, cranberry, orange, pineapple, spinach, and tomato was found to reduce levels of various inflammatory biomarkers by between 16 and 35 per cent, according to findings published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Chronic inflammation, brought about by an over-expression or lack of control of the normal protective mechanism, has been linked to range of conditions linked to heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s, type-2 diabetes, and arthritis.

“In this study, using a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled design, of 117 healthy individuals, we showed that a fruit and vegetable concentrate resulted in an elevation in micronutrients (as measured by beta-carotene, vitamin C, and alpha-tocopherol) and reduced systemic inflammatory load,” wrote the researchers.

“Although the long-term implications of these findings are currently unknown, the close relationship between chronic inflammation and poor human health, suggests such a juice concentrate is a beneficial addition to the habitual diet in support of human health,” they added.

Study details

Researchers from the University of South Carolina recruited 117 people with an average age of 35 were randomly assigned to receive capsules containing placebo, or fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate with or without additional berry powders.

After 60 days of consuming the fruit and vegetable capsules, the researchers report a reduction in levels of Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 (MCP-1) of about 35 per cent, Macrophage Inflammatory Protein 1-beta (MIP-1b) of about 16 per cent, and Regulated upon Activation, Normal T cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES) levels of about 21 per cent, compared with placebo.

“These results are consistent with the hypothesis that these concentrates reduce inflammatory load in healthy people,” stated the researchers.